Worry for child prisoners
“handcuffed routinely while in secure and controlled areas, mostly without justification”.
He recommended: “Handcuffs should only be used on detainees if justified and proportionate.”
The report praised custody officers saying: “Court custody staff generally interacted with detainees in a professional and friendly way.
“Some staff made particular efforts to reassure and calm them.”
But it noted: “A minority expressed inappropriate attitudes and a lack of empathy towards those they were looking after.”
Mr Clarke also expressed further concern about the treatment of child detainees.
The report said: “Staff had received little training on the specific needs of children. Other than keeping children separate from adult detainees in court custody, there was little specific provision for children or differentiation in their treatment.”
But it added: “... Arrangements were, however, in place to ensure that children remanded or sentenced to secure local authority accommodation or secure training centres were transported in non-cellular vehicles by specially trained staff.”
Concerning the condition of the cells and other secure areas the report was largely positive.
It said: “The physical condition of most court custody cells was good. The cells and communal areas in all suites were generally kept clean.”
But it added: “However, a few suites had considerable graffiti, some offensive.”
And it noted that ligature points from where a prisoner could potentially attempt suicide were “evident in almost half the cells inspected.”
Mr Clarke recommended: “All court custody cells should be examined daily to identify potential ligature points, and action taken to eliminate or offset possible risks.”
The report expressed concern whether the needs of prisoners with mental health issues were being met.
Mr Clarke also praised custody and court staff for prioritising custody hearings.
The report said: “There was a commitment to ensuring that custody cases were prioritised where possible, and that detainees spent as little time as necessary in court cells.”